The Forum at Handcuffs.Org

HAY PRESTO !!!!!

24 visible archived posts · 24 preserved total · topic ID 1271

RMP 12 Apr 2006

Just like magic here today gone tomorrow.

I really hope that if the new owner of these cuffs uses this board then he'll have the sence to keep his new toy to himself. If people use ebay they should stick to the rules and just in case you didn't know, if you stoop to these underhand methods you really need to get a grip on your life.

Clueless in Cuffland 12 Apr 2006

Elaborate, por favor?

larho01 12 Apr 2006

I sent a message to the seller asking about shipping to Sweden but didn't even get an answer. A fellow collector got the answer that the handcuffs will not be shipped outside France. The traces to whom the handcuffs were sold to leads me to France. Some of you understand what I mean...

Lars

Still not sure 12 Apr 2006

I didn't follow the bid, so I'm not aware of the circumstances, but you're saying the seller is from France, also? Doesn't high bid win? No? He didn't follow the rules set forth? File a complaint w/ ebay.

Bjoern 12 Apr 2006

Maybe RMP could provide an auction number to help us others to understand his point...

Bjoern

larho01 12 Apr 2006

Hi Bjoern,

I can; http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 6270850805

Lars

CC 12 Apr 2006

It says "0 Bids" and "Ships to France"

stan willis 12 Apr 2006

It also says "The seller ended this listing early because the item is no longer available for sale."
That means someone made an offer off ebay and the seller let him have it. This avoids ebay fees, but in ebay's of reasons to end an auction, this seems to be a legitamit reason.

Stan

ColdSteelCuffs 12 Apr 2006

The Seller had to Cancel Previous bids before ending the sale. The last bidder was USER ID Cuffs Registered in the USA.

Mark Lyons 13 Apr 2006

#10

Shouldn't this be HEY as opposed to HAY? Hay is for horses!
Yes I did bid on it for a grand total of $19.
After my initial bid, I wrote to see if the seller would allow me to bid higher and send them to me if I won. He wrote back to tell me that I am a foreigner and I am not welcome to bid any longer. Those French guys sure are fun to work with. Anyway, I am not sure if he sold it to anyone especially if he got tired of all the offers to send it out of his beloved country and any offers to sell it off eBay.
I was interested in this cuff as it had a short chain. I have a long chain and a no chain version of this cuff and have never seen this version before. I suspect that the chain may have been cut in half and the possibility exists that someone put it together with just a few of the remaining links.
Maybe someone was fortunate to buy them and I will bet that the Friendly French Guy just shorted himself of at least $800.

Vive la France!
mark
O--O

Wolflock.com 13 Apr 2006

#11

You will probably find that there might have been something wrong with them in some way or another. Everything happens for a reason, I believe. I know it can be quite vexing to you having something like that happen, but maybe it was for the best. Remember that what goes around, comes around.

Regards
Wolflock

Mike 13 Apr 2006

#12

It's easy to criticise a French guy for not shipping some rare cuffs abroad but in my experience those that are the most difficult to buy cuffs from are Americans. I have received many 'patriotic' replies saying things like 'these cuffs should stay in this country'. The unwillingness to do to others what you expect them to do to you will inevitably create negative feelings. Cuff collectors outside the US are in a much more difficult situation.

Mike

Mark Lyons 13 Apr 2006

#13

Yes I often hear that some cuffs should stay in this country. This is usually pertaining to the very rare ones.
Well, one thing, it is against the law to send ANY handcuffs to another country except Canada.

"Cuff collectors outside the US are in a much more difficult situation." I am not sure what this implies, but any difficulties should be offset by the vast numbers of US collectors and the MUCH higher prices that would result from the escalated bidding. Rare cuffs that sell for 3 or 4 hundred in Europe often will be a thousand dollar cuff over here.

Politically, I have had another French guy actually refuse to sell to me because he was opposed to the Iraqi conflict and was mad at Americans. It were as if I had any control over the situation. Even though I am not mad at any French people. I would have criticised this guy if he was from Paraguay.

mark
O--O

larho01 13 Apr 2006

#14

In this case I dont think it was a matter of not wanting the handcuffs to leave France.
I also mailed the seller about permission to bid but in the opposit to Mark I got no answer at all. My theory is that a specific French collector offered the seller to buy the handcuffs off eBay and the seller agreed. This has happend before. After the deal was finished the seller had no reasons to answer any requests. Thats it.

Through the years I have been in contact with many eBay sellers from a number of countries. When I see Will only ship to Im always sending a polite mail in their own language asking for permission to bid. The only sellers that have not agreed me to bid have been from the US, probably people with very limited knowledge about the life outside their own state. However, this has happened only a very few times. Normally, people are very nice and welcome the participation in their auctions.

Lars

Brad Darling 14 Apr 2006

#15

I'll send my stuff to Botswana, if I get paid for it. I can't imagine what those folks are talking about. Maybe they're just lazy.

How 'bout,"will not ship outside California or Texas."

They just don't know what they are talking about - I'm referring to US. I have no idea what the Frenchman was concerned about.

I guess Iraq is as good as any reason to go off on a tangent, for those so prone.

I'd not heard about not shipping outside US, except Canada, Mark. I've shipped them all over Europe the last year, marked as handcuffs on customs. Now I feel like a crimmynall.

stan willis 14 Apr 2006

#16

Well Brad. I hate to be the one to tell you, but you are a Criminal. It is against FEDERAL law to send handcuffs and related restraints to any other country from the US (except Canada) without the proper licenses from the Government. Thumbcuffs are not allowed to be sent. The Post Office has nothing to do with the regulations, and will ship the package even if it is marked as handcuffs. There are very heavy fines for the companies that have done it, and I know of inquiries by the Bureau of Industry and Security (the name might be changed due to Homeland Security Department) for individuals who have sent cuffs. I used to send anywhere, and now I don't. It is very time consuming and difficult to obtain licenses for a business, and almost impossible for an individual. Cannon's Great Escapes is the only one I know who gets them. They require 4 to 6 weeks to get and are required for each person that you send to. They are good for a specific quantity of cuffs for a 2 year period of time. This is why Discount handcuffs and others do not send out of the country. It has nothing to do with security, but was on the books before 911. It has more to do with not sending somewhere for the restraint to be used for torture or other uses besides police work. This has been discussed on the forum before.
Stan

Bruce Thomson 14 Apr 2006

#17

Well, the one time someone from France bid on an auction I had and won, I received prompt payment for the correct amount. I have had American ebayers respond when I have asked to bid on their items - some said yes, some no. All were polite.
Business is business and many people have the good sense to realise this.

JDB1979 14 Apr 2006

#18

The only item I refused to sell out side of the US was a set of police lights and sirens, dash and grill mount (un-marked, under cover lights). It was right after September 11, and I didnt want the items which may or may not be illegal in another country to wind up being used to hurt someone. In that one and only time I would not sell out of the country (except for items which ebay dose not allow me too, Example: Gun parts) I got a French man who wanted me to send these items to him. I had to tell him very, very politely three times that I would not be able to send the items to him and he got very angry and rude and made insults towards Americans. I do not believe in no way that this one guy's attitude was a representation of his countries attitude, just merely sharing my experience (as and American that wouldn't send something out of the country).

James Brown

Edri 14 Apr 2006

#19

What would be interesting to know, living up in the great white north, is is it legal to ship from canada to anywhere.

Edri

JDB1979 14 Apr 2006

#20

Stan, I would like to also add that countries like China have strict Treaties singed with the United States not to send any police related items to China. If caught doing so a person (American citizen) can face charges by both the U.S. and China.

Seems weird that a citizen of the United States, who never even left the country, can be tried criminally by a foreign country but a treaty between the U.S. and China, like this, is in affect at this very moment. The is no way for anyone to keep track of all the laws all over the world, heck I have a hard enough time keeping track of the laws in my own city and I have the job of enforcing them.

Like Stan says even big companies, with high priced lawyers struggle with import and export laws and knowing which counties or even cities allow citizens to own product:A. Take for example Just the U.S. I live in Iowa, I can own a firearm that holds more than 10 rounds of ammo and own a .50 caliber rifle, but in California both of those items are illegal. Including just the Magazine (clip) that holds more than ten rounds.

I think most people just decide to ere on the side of caution, instead of going to jail. (but at least some of us would know how to escape)

As a person that likes to bid on things, I get frustrated by this too. But you just have to accept it, if a guy dont want to send his item out of the country, then he dont want to send it out of the country.

James Brown

Brad Darling 15 Apr 2006

#21

Gulp, thanks for the info, Stan. If I don't turn myself in, I'll at least go to confession.

So we can buy cuffs from foreign countries, but not sell to them? Makes sense. Must be the same people who write gun laws.

Okay, no more cuffs to Botswana, no matter how much they want to pay.

Atame 15 Apr 2006

#22

Hello everyone,

I just want to add that I had at least two US sellers who refused to ship to me, because Germany did not support the US Iraq policy and did not send troops to the Iraq for war. They even accused my country to be thankless after all what America has done for Germany past WWII and during the Berlin blockade. That's really sick IMHO!

Best regards,
Guenter

Achtung 15 Apr 2006

#23

Well, Atame, Germany is rather thankless, but, more to the point, YOU are a defender of terrorism. As a reason for not selling to you, did they happen to mention that? As good a reason as any.

RMP 15 Apr 2006

#24

I really wished I'd never started this thread.